DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA
This first action is on the merits for this regular application filed on 09/11/2024
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Denvir et al. (US 6,120,822).
Regarding claims 1 and 9-10, Denvir et al. discloses an ozone concentrator (Fig.1:14,16,38,17, and 22), a substrate processing apparatus (Fig.1:10) and an ozone supply method of supplying an ozone gas by an ozone concentrator (col.5, lines 28-42), comprising:
a pump (Fig.1:16) provided in a supply passage (unlabeled pipes connecting 14, 16, 38, 17, 22, and 12 as shown in Fig.1) through which an ozone gas (Fig.1:14) flows;
a flow rate controller (Fig.1:17) provided in the supply passage downstream of the pump (Fig.1:16);
a pressure controller (Fig.1:38 and col.13, lines 35-42) configured to control a pressure of the supply passage between the pump (Fig.1:16) and the flow rate controller (Fig.1:17) to a set pressure (Fig.1:42, col.5, lines 54-61, and coll16, Example 2, lines 21-23);
a processor (Fig.1:12) that is capable of being configured to process a substrate; and
an ozone concentrator (Fig.1:14) connected (Fig.1:32, 22, and 12) to the processor,
wherein the ozone concentrator includes:
a pump (Fig.1:16) provided in a supply passage through which an ozone gas (Fig.1:14) flows;
a flow rate controller (Fig.1:17) provided in the supply passage downstream of the pump (Fig.1:16);
a pressure controller (Fig.1:38 and col.13, lines 35-42) configured to control a pressure of the supply passage between the pump (Fig.1:16) and the flow rate controller (Fig.1:17) to a set pressure (Fig.1:42, col.5, lines 54-61, and coll16, Example 2, lines 21-23);
a pump (Fig.1:16) provided in a supply passage through which the ozone gas flows;
a flow rate controller (Fig.1:17) provided in the supply passage downstream of the pump (Fig.1:16);
a pressure controller (Fig.1:38 and col.13, lines 35-42) configured to control a pressure of the supply passage between the pump (Fig.1:16) and the flow rate controller (Fig.1:17) to a set pressure (Fig.1:42, col.5, lines 54-61, and coll16, Example 2, lines 21-23); and
a pressure gauge (Fig.1:42) that is capable of being configured to detect a pressure of the supply passage downstream of the flow rate controller (Fig.1:17), and
wherein the ozone supply method comprises controlling the set pressure (col.5, lines 54-61, and coll16, Example 2, lines 21-23) to be a sum of the pressure detected by the pressure gauge and a inimum required differential pressure (the set pressure value is made up of the pressure value obtained by pressure sensor 42 and the pressure of gas source 38) of the flow rate controller (col.13, lines 35-42).
Regarding claim 2, Denvir et al. discloses that the pressure controller (Fig.1:42) is provided in a
vacuum exhaust passage branched off (Fig.1:22) from the supply passage between the pump and the flow rate controller.
Regarding claim 3, Denvir et al. discloses that the set pressure is a predetermined fixed value (col.16, Example 2, lines 20-23).
Regarding claims 4 and 7, Denvir et al. discloses a pressure gauge (Fig.1:42) configured to detect a pressure (col.5, lines 57-61) of the supply passage downstream of the flow rate controller (Fig.1:17), wherein the set pressure is capable of being a variable value determined based on the pressure detected by the pressure gauge.
Regarding claims 5 and 8, Denvir et al. discloses a controller configured to control the set pressure (col.5, lines 54-61, and coll16, Example 2, lines 21-23) to be a sum of the pressure detected by the pressure gauge and a minimum required differential pressure (the set pressure value is made up of the pressure value obtained by pressure sensor 42 and the pressure of gas source 38) of the flow rate controller (col.13, lines 35-42).
Regarding claim 6, Denvir et al. discloses that the set pressure (col.5, lines 54-61, and coll16, Example 2, lines 21-23) is a predetermined fixed value.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONZER R CHORBAJI whose telephone number is (571)272-1271. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 5:30-12:00 and 6:00-9:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jill J Warden can be reached at (571)272-1267. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MONZER R CHORBAJI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1799
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